Amazon.com Selects Sun's Starfire Server and Sun StorEdge Arrays to Power Strategic Data Warehouse and Decision Support Systems

Business Wire, July 20, 1998

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 20, 1998--

"Earth's Biggest Bookstore" Drawn to Scalability of the Sun Solaris Platform

Sun Microsystems, Inc. (NASDAQ:SUNW) today announced that Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), the Web's best-known retailer, is turning to Sun's server, software and storage systems to help serve its growing customer base.

The online retailer has selected the Sun(TM) Enterprise(TM) 10000 "Starfire(TM)" server running the robust Solaris(TM) operating environment with Sun StorEdge(TM) A5000 fibre channel arrays and the L3500 tape library for its data warehouse and decision support system.

"We needed technology that could keep pace with a growing e-commerce market, and we knew of Sun's reputation as a leading provider of systems for data warehouses," said Rick Dalzell, CIO at Amazon.com. "Our business required the ability to analyze market trends and to respond quickly. The scalability of Sun's Starfire server and storage subsystems supports that model."

"We're very excited that Amazon.com, which is truly blazing the trail for electronic commerce, has selected the Sun platform as the backbone for its strategic data warehousing needs," said Masood Jabbar, president, Computer Systems, at Sun. "This is a great example of how Sun's highly scalable core technology can help companies compete in the rapidly changing electronic commerce market and how we, along with our business associates, are dominating this field. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Amazon.com."

A Sun Enterprise and E10000 Certified reseller, Avcom Systems, helped put the deal together.

"We're finding the Starfire server to be a big success with our value added reseller channel," said Bill Cate, director of marketing for the U.S. reseller channel at Sun. "In fact, one of every five of these servers sold in the United States is sold through a Sun Enterprise Certified reseller, Specialty certified at the Sun Enterprise 10000 level."

Amazon.com, Inc., is Earth's biggest book and music store. Amazon.com offers a catalog of more than 3 million book, music, and other titles, plus easy-to-use search and browse features, e-mail services, personalized shopping services, secure Web-based credit card payment, and direct shipping to customers. Amazon.com has virtually unlimited online shelf space and offers customers a vast selection through an efficient search-and-retrieval interface, as well as streamlined ordering through 1-Click(SM) technology. Amazon.com pioneered the concept of syndicated selling on the Internet and has more than 60,000 members in its Associates Program, including AOL.com, Yahoo!, Netscape, Excite, the Alta Vista Search Service, the @Home Network, and iVillage.

About Sun Microsystems

Sun's global retail clients include catalog and home shopping organizations, grocery chains, convenience store chains, chain drug stores, discount and mass merchandisers, department stores, hard and soft goods companies and specialty chains as well as hotel and restaurant chains.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, "The Network Is The Computer(TM)," has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc., (NASDAQ:SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $9 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the WorldWide Web at http://www.sun.com.

Amazon.com, Earth's Biggest Bookstore, and 1-Click are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. All other names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, Amazon.com's limited operating history, the unpredictability of its future revenues, and risks associated with capacity constraints, management of growth, and new business opportunities. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results are included in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1997, and quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 1998, both filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, Enterprise, StorEdge, Solaris and "The Network is the Computer" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are available on the Internet via the World Wide Web using a tool such as Netscape Navigator or Sun's HotJava. Type http://www.sun.com at the URL prompt.

    CONTACT: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
              David Berkowitz, 650/786-7511
              david.berkowitz@sun.com
                 or
              Burson Marsteller for Sun
              Marty O'Loughlin, 650/287-4004
              marty_o'loughlin@bm.com